


Weightless

by Mechtadyne



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Gen, Mostly fluff/gen/friendship, minor language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-03-20 19:08:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3661614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mechtadyne/pseuds/Mechtadyne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's different when The Iron Bull returns, but at the same time, it's not. The air is lighter and happier though, and the weight of the world is gone from them both.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Weightless

She bounds to him, her smile soothing like a sunflower and hair whipping wildly in the winter winds, and The Iron Bull smiles. He catches her petite little body as she throws himself into his arms, wrapping herself around his neck and giggling like a child. She is so light, like a little rose, and Bull forgot how happy her laugh could make him. She is delightful, and her smile is weightless.

“I missed you.” She says to him.

“I missed you too, kadan.” Bull says in return. He puts her down gently as Krem dismounts his horse and slaps her shoulder.

“What? No hug for your favourite Charger?” he says. Bull laughs.

“If I got a hug and you didn’t, I’d hardly call you the favourite.” He says. Krem sticks his tongue out at him as Evelyn wraps her arms around him with a tiny roar.

“You’re all my favourite!” she shouts and Krem sweeps her off her feet and swings her around in tight circles. Her white scarf and winter wear blend seamlessly into the snowy fortress, the long trails of fabric swinging as Krem spins her around.

“Welcome back, The Iron Bull.” Says a gentle voice. Even after all they’ve been through, Cole is always so quiet. Former Ben-Hassrath or not, Bull finds it difficult to notice Cole at times. But he is there nonetheless, smiling as he twirls his fingers around themselves, and Bull pats the kid on his head and taps his metal-topped hat.

“Good to be back, kid.” Bull says.

“You were gone for a whole month this time.” Cole says simply.

“Eh, sometimes the jobs turn out to be longer and harder than you think. I’m back though, and I got paid in the end, so…” Bull lets his sentence trail off as he shrugs. In a motion that surprised him, Cole moves forward to embrace Bull. He taps the kid gently on his back, unsure if he’s to return the gesture. He doesn’t think he’s ever hugged Cole before.

“Evelyn and I missed you.” Cole says, and he pulls away. He is staring at Evelyn now, and his expression is so distant from Bull it’s as if the remark was a signal to end their conversation. She is already shouting and brawling with the other Chargers, sharing haphazard bear hugs with Dalish as she giggles. Cole smiles fondly and turns back to Bull.

“You’re back now though, and Evelyn is happy.” Cole says. He nods once, as if in approval. The kid was always a weird one, Bull thinks.

“What have you kids been up to?” Bull asks as he leads his horses through the gates of Skyhold. Dennet meets them there to procure his steeds, and the group slowly but surely head towards the Inquisition’s tavern.

“I spend my time with Evelyn, when she’s not too busy,” Cole tells him, “She has been very busy lately, though.”

“Being Inquisitor isn’t all about going to Orlesian balls and beating down thousand year old Vints,” Bull says with a roar of a laugh, “She’s got responsibilities too, who knew!”

Cole says nothing in return, but smiles. Bull sees him looking at Evelyn, an expression of calm and fondness painting his features. While once, the little man looked sickly and pale, now he seems more healthy; full of life and happy. It is a subtle difference that many might never notice, but The Iron Bull does. Not because he was once Ben-Hassrath, though it certainly doesn’t hurt, but rather because Cole is, admittedly, a close friend to the qunari. Once, Bull might have scowled or scoffed at the notion of associating with a demon – _No_ , corrects himself, _a spirit; a human spirit; a boy_ – but now he simple nods silently to himself.

The thought falls from his mind as he enters the tavern, with Maryden’s sweet voice filling his head and the smell of warm fires and ale reminding him of just how much he _loves_ Skyhold. When the Chargers settle themselves at a table by the corner of the tavern and have already lined their palms with food and drink, Bull finds that he has lost Evelyn and Cole to the shadows. While perhaps others might remain blissfully unaware of their short absence, Bull does not. He need only flick his eyes from left to right once before he finds them, and he watches them with interest as his ale warms his throat.

They are so happy. That is the first thing Bull sees. They have escaped, if only for a moment, two drinks curled in Evelyn’s hands as they hide briefly in the shadows of the stairwell. He has seen Evelyn smile before, and even Cole too, but never like this. It is an expression of warmth and tenderness, a soft curve of the lip and a glint in the eye that distinguishes contentment from adoration. Cole adores Evelyn, Bull sees this clearly. Cole adjusts her scarf and pulls it gently around her neck, and when he reaches to sweep a stray hair from her face, Bull looks away and leaves the moment for their eyes only.

Evelyn returns to the table almost instantly after, and she passes one of her glasses to Krem and sips at the other herself. She eases herself into a chair tucked neatly between him and Bull, and she loses herself to the Chargers, no doubt grateful for an excuse to be just Evelyn for the night, and not the Inquisitor.

Cole is not with her, but he knows the boy is near. Perhaps in the rafters, like always, or perhaps tucked away in a corner of the tavern. He is not there, Bull thinks, and yet somehow he is.

When the night rolls on and Dalish has drunken herself into a stupor as she performs a traditional elven dance (according to her, at least), Bull decides that this is his cue to let Evelyn know she is free. She is leaning on Krem, smiling faintly and giggling, but her bravado has dulled and she is tired. She would never leave though, not by her own will, and Bull knows that if he doesn’t tell her to she would stay all throughout the night and drink far more alcohol than her dainty little body could possibly withstand. He taps her shoulder and whispers to her.

“You should leave now before Dalish starts taking off her clothes.” He says. Evelyn giggles softly.

“But isn’t that the best part?” she quips, and Bull laughs at the comment.

“You hang out with us far too often, little mage,” he tells her, “But I know you’re tired. Go to bed before you wake up on the tavern floor at sunrise.”

Evelyn suppresses a yawn and rubs at her eyes. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah, come on.” Bull stands and outstretches a hand, helping her stand as he walks her out of the tavern. When he closes the tavern door behind him, muting the joyous shouts of the Chargers, he takes the moment to readjust Evelyn’s scarf.

“Next time, just wear a high collared shirt. It’s easier to hide the love bites.” He tells her.

She is too sleepy to understand him straight away, so instead Evelyn murmurs and smiles in agreement for a few seconds before she snaps her head up at him, eyes wide and cheeks suddenly flushing redder than Dalish’s drunken face. Bull laughs loudly at her before she can say anything. No one would have noticed, and if they did they’d likely not remember, but Bull saw the red marks that peeked out slightly from under her scarf. The Ben-Hassrath always notice, Tal-Vashoth or not.

“Don’t…don’t tell anyone.” She says nervously. Her ears are red now too.

“I won’t,” Bull promises, “But don’t think I’ll not use this as ammunition to rile you up.”

She hides her face in her hands and half yells, half sighs into them. Bull smiles and pats her shoulder.

“I don’t know how it works,” Bull admits, shrugging, “I don’t know how it happened. But you look happy. Are you happy?”

From between her fingers, Evelyn looks up at him. She is silent for a while, but when she speaks, it is in a voice of certainty and tenderness.

“I am.” She says, and that’s enough for Bull. He heaves a long and heavy sigh and places his hand on her head.

“I spent six sovereigns on a whore for the kid when all I needed to do was put him in a bed with you.”

“Oh, fuck off!” Evelyn swears, blushing. She pushes away from Bull and giggles a bit, hiding her face again. Bull laughs too. She never swore much when they met, but a year in the company of his Chargers could change even the grandest of nobles.

“Go to bed, kadan.” He says, and he pushes her shoulder and gently encourages her away. She looks back at him across her shoulder, eyes half closed but smiling.

“I’m glad you’re back.” She says.

“I am too.” He replies, and she disappears into the blanket of night as she wanders back to her room.

Before he returns to the tavern, Bull looks to the rooftops. Cole looks back, legs hanging from the edge of the building. He smiles and jumps down next to Bull, ready to follow after Evelyn.

“You make her happy too, you know.” Cole tells him. Bull crosses his arms as he looks at Cole, who looks back with uncertainty.

“I would give you some stupid speech if you were anyone else,” Bull starts, shrugging as he shakes his head, “but you’re not anyone else.”

“You don’t have to worry,” Cole says, “Weary and wondering, whispering your wisdom. She comes to you, haggard but hopeful; hears what you have to say. She reminds you of you, when you were years younger, scraped knees and youthful wildness, running to the Tamassrans, asking for advice. You love her like a sister.”

“You got me again,” Bull admits. He is still unused to how easily Cole reads him. He scratches his cheek and closes his eyes, tilting his head back as he breathes a sigh. “Just keep her safe.”

“Always,” Cole says, fingers knotting together, “I love her.”

“Yeah,” Bull says, nodding, “I figured.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this months ago and quickly forgot about it until now. After a quick read through and an edit, I figured it was nice enough to share. Originally supposed to be a much longer sequel to Intertwine going over the reactions of all the companions, but I'm lazy and I'm unlikely to get around to more, so this will do.
> 
> Also, in lieu of the Origins where Sten calls Warden 'kadan' under the right circumstances without being an LI, I've elected to use 'kadan' to mean more like...'valued and deeply trusted friend, like family' rather than as 'lover'.


End file.
